The Gifts of the Magi
by Mischieff
Summary: It is the holiday of Satinalia, celebrated around Thedas with feasts and gifts. Alistair wants to get his love a gift but they, and especially him, are painfully short of funds. His plight sets off a chain of events that will affect the entire camp. Inspired by the O. Henry tale "The Gift of the Magi"


**Author's Note: Satinalia**: One of the five holidays celebrated in Thedas. Once dedicated to the Old Goddess of Freedom, Zazikel—but now attributed more to the second moon, Satina—this holiday is accompanied by wild celebration, the wearing of masks, and naming the town fool as ruler for a day. In Antiva, Satinalia lasts for a week or more, while a week of fasting follows. In more pious areas, large feasts and the giving of gifts mark the holiday. Satinalia is celebrated at the beginning of Umbralis.

Alistair looked over the cases in the Wonder of Thedas. The tranquil proprietor was busy with other customers and wouldn't get to him for a while. It was the day before Satinalia and in Ferelden it was customary to have large feasts and give gifts to celebrate the holiday. He wanted to get something for the warden. Most holidays didn't have much significance to him, but this one did. He still remembered that on this day he always got some small gift from the arl, not much but something. He wanted to get something for her, something meaningful. He wanted to get her a ring, a ring of precious metal meant something, a promise unspoken but unending. The thing was that they were desperately low on funds, feeding and equipping their entire party was expensive. She was good with money but their current situation pushed even her skills. Zevran had suggested that they capitalize on the festivities and crash a Satnalia feast. If they were masks, which was common as such feasts and balls, and waited till the third or fourth round of ale, no one would notice them, he had said. She had thought it a good plan, if he could figure out where to get the money for the masks.

The proprietor came over and asked if he could help him. Alistair opened his hand and in it was his runic token. It was the only thing of possible value that he owned. He had found it during his first encounter with the darkspawn. After the one and only time him and Duncan had fought side by side. He had found it laying on the ground. It wasn't Duncan's but it was his only link to him and the only thing he had.

A simple silver ring was 40 silvers. He looked at the token in his hand and then placed it on the counter. "What will you give me for that?"

The tranquil picked it up and looked it over. "It is not in good condition...but it is of good material and a rare item. I will give you 33 silver for it." He said in his monotone.

Alistair's heart fell. It wasn't enough, and he knew that was no use trying to bargain with a tranquil. They give you fair value and that's it.

"My good friend, Alistair..." Zevran walked up to him. "Is this man trying to cheat you?"

Tranquil replied. "I do not cheat people. I offer only the fair value of an item. So there is no need to bargain."

"As I said, cheating." Zevran said.

"No," Alistair said. "I just seeing what I could get for this." He picked up the token. "It isn't enough."

"Enough for what? From the look of it, should pay for a couple tumbles at the Pearl." Zevran said.

"No, not that! I... I just wanted to buy something for her. Something nice. But it isn't enough." Alistair said disheartened.

Zevran looked into the case where they were standing and saw that it was filled with rings. Ah, of course, Alistair wanted to give the warden a ring. Of course he did. He loved her. Rings were symbols of such devotion throughout Thedas. He had watched as the two had fallen in love but for him it had been bittersweet, for now he understood those emotions in a way he had never before.

Zevran reached into his pack and pulled out a gold earring. This was all he had, all that meant anything to him. He had the thought that one day he might give it someone... a special someone, if he ever found someone like that... but he doubted that he ever would... not now... for he had watched the one person... he might have given it to... die. Zevran put the ring on the counter and said. "His token and the earring for the silver ring." The earring wasn't worth much but it might be enough.

"I can't take that from you." Alistair said.

"Ah, do not let it concern yourself, it is meaningless jewelry. I picked up... see I do not even remember... It will not even buy me a turn at the Pearl, so it is no use to me." Zevran said as causally as he could.

The tranquil looked over the earring and then took both it and the token and pulled out the silver ring and handed it to Alistair. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"No," Alistair said looking over his treasure. The tranquil walked away. He looked to Zevran. "Thank you."

"Ah, do not mention it, but do remember this occasion if I ever need to borrow money from you." The two men then walked out of the shop.

Leliana had been looking at some very nice ribbons or at least acting like she was. In fact, she had been watching the exchange closely. While she had been out of hearing range, she had surmised the drift of what had happened. She walked over to the counter and got the attention of the proprietor. "Excuse me, but what did the two men buy?"

"A silver ring." he replied.

"But how? I know neither have any money." She asked.

"They traded a runic token and an earring for the ring." The tranquil answered.

Leliana considered. A ring, well that was obvious why Alistair wanted that... to give it to the warden. She had seen Alistair with the token before. He would toy with it when he was nervous or bored, then at times he looked at he fondly. Well, not it... exactly but looking at it he would get lost in memory, as through it reminded him of something or perhaps even someone important. One time he spent nearly two hours looking all over camp when he had lost it. It must have meaning for him.

And an earring from Zevran. She had never seen him wear one but he had so little personal belongings that if he had that it must be important to him. For him to give it away so that Alistair could buy the warden a ring? She simply would not have expected that from him.

Leliana reached around her neck and removed her seeker's circle amulet. It was in the form of a wheel which representing the Maker's unending patience and Adraste's unquenchable passion. It had been given to her by the Revered Mother when she came to the chantry. It had reminded her of the love of the Maker and of Andraste in many dark hours and of the friendship of the Revered Mother. But it was merely a symbol. She carried the love of all of them in her heart. She laid it upon the counter. "This for both." The proprietor looked at the amulet and then handed her the token and the ring.

Wynne who had been looking over some dusty tomes had seen Leliana remove her Seeker's Circle. She knew how much those symbols of the Maker meant to her and was curious as to what she would possibly trade it for. She waited the the tranquil was done with a customer and then asked him about what the red-haired woman had bought. The proprietor told her she had traded the amulet for a token and a single earring. Wynne had no idea what either of those things were but they must be very important for her to sell her amulet.

Wynne didn't have much. She took off her silver aron belt and gave it to the tranquil. It wasn't worth a third of the amulet but all tranquil stores are required to give circle mages full market price for any goods sold and only charge cost for pawned items. Wynne walked out of the shop with the Seeker's amulet.

Oghren was waiting outside the shop. He hated those types of shops. Branka had always dragged him into those kinds of places. But as he had sat outside he had noticed everyone walking out of their with big smiles, a bit sad at times but big. If he didn't know better he would have thought it was a brothel. He watched as Wynne walked out. He was trying to figure out what exactly was going on, but all he could tell was different was that she wasn't wearing her belt. Well, that was odd. He knew they nearly every night before bed or before he got drunk enough to pass out, she took it off and read what looked like notes she had somehow attached to the belt. Every sodding night! So why would she sell that? He decided to find out.

Once inside he had a hard time getting the attention of the proprietor. Since he normally only dealt with mages and no dwarven mages, he wasn't used to looking lower than the counter. He asked about Wynne's belt. Didn't know why she had sold it but... he had something to trade. A hip flask that was missing a coat of arms. "One for the Ditch" was scratched around the mouth. He had gotten it from his first commander. He had given him a drink from it before he went on his first mission to the deep roads and on his 12th he had died. He had tried to reach him, reach him and those who had been cutoff, but he hadn't gotten to him in time. As he bleed to death he gave it to him. He won honors for that fight for the ones he had saved, but he would gladly trade all the honor in the world to have saved them all. He threw the flask on the counter and walked out with Wynne's belt.

Alistair opened the door just as Oghren walked out. Alistair thought it odd he was in the shop at all. Oghren looked embarrassed and quickly left the alley. Alistair went to the counter and laid the silver ring on it. "I want the earring back." He had thought about how Zevran had spoken so casually about it, as though it meant nothing at all to him. So, that probably meant that it did. Zevran had no possessions to speak of, for him to be carrying this around with him, it had to mean something to him. Exactly like the token had for him. He'd get the earring back and then take the rest of the coin and buy food. Wouldn't be enough for a feast but be something. A small celebration with everyone there. Have to find a place that sells fine cheeses, he thought.

"The earring was sold to another customer." The tranquil said.

"What?" Damn. He thought. Then he saw what the proprietor was carrying. "Hey did you buy that from a red-haired dwarf?" The tranquil said that he had. Of all the things that Oghren had, that had been the only thing he had brought with him from Orzamar. Granted it was a hip flask and no doubt Oghren wouldn't want to be without it, but then why sell it? Well, if he couldn't get the earring back at least he could do this. It would take all the money, too bad, he had been looking forward to some fine cheese.

During the course of the night, small packages appeared outside the warden's tent. Each one had a companions name on it. As they sat down for dinner, the warden saw them and asked what they were. The companions all looked at her and each other with curious glances. The warden handed them out. As each person opened their gift, there was surprise and cries of joy, and quite smiles in response.

Morrigan observed that each person got only what was theirs to begin with. "That was a waste of time."

The warden watched all of them and then turned to her, noting that she had no gift and said "You really don't see the point, do you?"

Morrigan looked over the group and then said "No, I don't." Then turned and walked away.

After the warden and Alistair retired for the night in the warden tent, he suddenly said. "I have something for you." He took her hand and placed in it a iron ring in the form of a serpent devouring its own tail. "I wanted to get you a nice one but well, they cost money and this one has meaning."

"A serpent eating its own tail has meaning?" the warden asked.

"Yes, it's an arcane symbol. It represents the idea that something has existed from the beginning with such force it cannot be extinguished. Something like love... like when someone loves someone else... they may feel like they have always loved them... and know that they always will."

The warden placed the ring on her finger and said. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean."

To paraphrase the great O. Henry:

And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of some foolish people in a camp who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures that they owned. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these are the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are the wisest.

Merry Christmas!


End file.
